Military personnel are often equipped with ballistic resistant vests to protect the torso region from bullets and shrapnel. These vests, of which the “Interceptor Vest” is one example, typically have front and back ballistic resistant plates formed of a ceramic material to break up and absorb the impact from ballistic projectiles and to prevent them from penetrating the thoracic cavity and damaging vital organs. The vests are sleeveless and may be worn under a standard military jacket.
When operating in a war zone or other hazardous situation, military personnel can be exposed to a variety of different threats. Roadside bombs constitute a particularly insidious and hazardous threat in modern day warfare. The bombs are often well concealed and may be triggered automatically by the target vehicle as it draws up alongside the bomb. The bomb blast, including the overpressure wave and blast fragments are therefore directed towards the side of the vehicle. Some military vehicles have a cupola which provides a raised observation and machine gun platform in the roof of the vehicle so that a soldiers head and torso is typically positioned above roof level. Typically, no additional protection is provided on the vehicle so that the soldier's upper body is completely exposed and the soldier has to rely upon what he is wearing for protection. Unfortunately, the interceptor vest or any other known military equipment does not provide adequate protection against blasts directed to the side of military personnel, for example, from roadside bombs.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system for protecting military personnel from explosive blasts from the side and also from other directions.